Thandie Newton Was Abused At 16 By A Director

Speaking to CNN, Thandie Newton shared a story of hers that is repeated everyday in Hollywood and around the world and which is why I try to expose as many of them as I can. At the age of 16, Thandie was subjected to a sexual assault by a director. He basically made her have sex with him for a part. True casting couch stuff. When she was 18, she suffered even more and the result of that suffering is still out there. “The director asked me to sit with my legs apart – the camera was positioned where it could see up my skirt – to put my leg over the arm of the chair. Before I started my dialogue, I was told to think about the character I was supposed to be having the dialogue with and how it felt to be made love to by this person. I was thinking this is so strange, why would I need to do that? But this is the director, there is the casting director, [it] must be normal. I’m 18 years old, you know, and I’m thinking this is, obviously… I was in a protected… there were boundaries. It turned out the director… used to show that video late at night to interested parties at his house – a video of me touching myself with a camera up my skirt.”

They probably can't name names. She probably cannot publicly name names. It's not libel if you can prove it, but how does she prove that these incidents happened the way she says they did? He could say she wanted to make that dirty video, and that he hasn't showed it to people. Statute of limitations is long gone to press charges, sooo…Unless there is indisputable evidence, I don't think these people can be "outed" without them suing for slander/libel/damages.

I think Enty just wants to let people know that this stuff is going on, and let other upcoming celebs that may be reading this blog know that this stuff is going on and they're not alone. Maybe.

So did she willingly sleep with the director for the part, or is she saying the director raped her. Because you can't force someone to sit with there legs wide open. A lot of those actresses aren't force to sleep with directors, they think by doing it will get them some where.

@Tabitha – I agree with you, and I don't. They do make that choice, but you need to take into account that people in a position of power can be intimidating. An older man like that can seem like God to a young girl, and how do you say no to God, you know?

And we've gone over this before many times, but remember, a 16 year old girl who is intimidated into having sex with an older, more powerful man is most certainly being raped. The imbalance of power is key. God bless Thandie for sharing this – if only one girl is helped it will be completely worth it.

I feel like any parent who leaves their child alone in a situation with these people is terribly irresponsible, but once you're an adult, you can say no. Even if you are intimidated. Very few of these blinds indicate forcible rape ( perhaps a couple indicating drug use, which unless it's roofies you can also say no to). What it boils down to is these girls feel they need to do this to get the part, so they do. You can always say "I prefer my dignity to celebrity" but they choose to stay so that they can benefit from the situation.

She doesn't have any IMDb credits when she was 16, but she does have two when she was 19, which could be the 18 event. One was "Flirting," directed by John Duigan and also starring Nicole Kidman. The other was a TV movie "Pirate Prince," directed by Alan Horrox.

If I had to guess, I would say it is "Flirting," since that title would lead me to think there is some sort of sensual action.

I think, if she actually got the part, it would have been from Pirate Prince. IMDB lists the casting director for Flirting, and it's a female. The casting director for Pirate Prince isn't listed. Again, this presumes she got the role she 'auditioned' for. Poor woman.

In my younger years, I was approached by a casting agent. They wanted me to "model". My mom was on the phone getting details about the shoot and when they told her she wouldn't be able to be present during the shoot, she said thanks but no thanks.Of course being a little teeny bopper at the time, I was pissed at her. But I am so thankful she had the balls to be my parent.

Found an article in the daily mail from over a year ago that says she had an affair with the director of Flirting when she was 16. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1394105/Thandie-Newtons-affair-16-film-director-John-Duigan-23-years-older-her.html

Everyone interested should try to read a transcript. She is saying this in a conversational manner so she isn't making the timeline of actual events clear.

She says that she started auditioning at 16 and experienced the casting couch. At 18, she says that she was manipulated into performed sexual activity under the guise of an audition. This was recorded and she found out many years later that the director was showing it to people. She also talks about the traumas both sexes have experienced and some of the underlying reasons why this goes on.

I wish people would be so quick to assume 'Oh, this is typical Hollywood behavior' or implying people do this to get ahead as if they deserve it. Sexual intimidation is real and it happens to many people in varying degrees, especially women. Let's retract the claws and stop tearing each other down.

If you're strong enough to never allow a Man to intimidate you by standing too close to you in an elevator, or rubbing his body against you while reaching for something, well bully for you.

Some of us have experienced things in the past that we wish we had enough strength or experience to handle differently.

Seriously, this doesn't happen everyday in Hollywood. It's horrible that this happened to her, but over half of the BI are fabrications and people aren't running around raping, molesting, drugging anywhere and everywhere.

Referring to the incident that happened when she was 18, she continued: ‘It was a screen test.

‘There were two other people in the room – the director and the casting director, who was a woman. . . .She was confused because it was a ‘professional environment’.‘I was thinking “this is so strange, why would I need to do that?”’ she said. ‘But this is the director, there is the casting director, [it] must be normal.‘I’m 18 years old, you know, and I’m thinking this is, obviously… I was in a protected… there were boundaries.’Three years later, she discovered the video was being shown by the director to other showbusiness figures"

OK, on a serious note…you don't have to mention casting couch to show how exploitative this town is. I've done some storyboarding and many directors were a bunch of sleazy scumbags who exploit whoever they can exploit. I know a few ADs who went through similar situations like I did. I worked my butt off and didn't get paid a penny.

I feel it's a bit dramatic saying this is on par with someone " standing too close in an elevator" a lot of the situations described can be attributed to a close-talker who is just socially oblivious. If you feel like people are trying to intimidate you you can always tell them step off or mace is always a handy standby. I work in a male dominated field and they are some of the most vile, disgusting people you will ever meet (boss included, I was told several times I should sell myself for extra cash. In those words) one little whisper of "say that again and I will own you and this whole place" and it pretty much stopped from that level. The rest can be ignored or corrected with a couple well aimed barbs.

People need to stand up and look out for themselves. If someone is making you uncomfortable you leave and you don't try to rationalize "hey, this stranger asking me to masturbate in front of him seems legit, after all, there's two of them"

Yes it does @whocaresnow12 – but not just in Hollywood. Everywhere. Which is why at least 1-in-4 women will be raped in their lifetime. We presently live in a sick culture where sexual assaults happen frequently, everywhere from small towns to big cities. The three biggest factors in perpetuating it are 1) denial that it happens, 2) assuming that saying a woman was assaulted or raped somehow "shames" her (seriously, if we named someone as a mugging victim, would that be shameful somehow?), and 3) not aggressively pursuing, punishing, and shunning those who commit the acts. If there's no repercussion, no one talks about it "in polite company" and admitting it happened to you somehow reflects poorly on *you* and not the person who did it? Why would someone think twice…

My friend & I were out last night, two women just went to the pub after dinner for a dance. Band comes on at 10pm. Nice young guy starts dancing with us, introduces himself, real gentleman. His dad's best mate comes onto the dance floor and starts harassing my friend, rubbing his bum against her & being in her face when she didn't want him around. When she made it clear she was NOT interested, nice young guy starts dancing with another older woman. Shame, cause nice young guy was hot & could dance & we were having fun. My friend and I can take care of ourselves, but other people aren't as strong & men need to respect the signals they are getting, & most definitely do not touch people when you don't even know them.

She states in 2011: She had a six-year affair with director John Duigan which she began when she was 16 after travelling to Australia to audition for his film Flirting, which starred Nicole Kidman. Asked why she had not reported it to police, she said: ‘I am my own supreme court. I judge that one.'And in a strict legal way there might not be a case.’Previously she has said: ‘In retrospect, although it was legal because I was 16, I was coerced.’

Now she is saying that at 18 she did a creepy screen test.The 6 year affair would have still been going on with the first director. Three years later (21), she discovered the video was being shown by the screen test director to other show business figures. She would have still been in her 6 year affair with director #1.

Well, I commend her for speaking out, just wish she would do it with clarity . Since she named the 1st director I wish she would name the second one as well.

They don't deserve it, but if you don't have the good sense to change the situation (quit, report them, ensure other people are present when you have to deal with them, etc) then I don't know that you can complain about it. Very very few situation are such that nothing can be done. It's your responsibility to look out for you. In this situation she could have very easily said "no than you, I don't do that. I would be happy to do a scene from the script" and if the job was given to someone else so be it. This is no different than going to an interview and the person interviewing asks for you to perform a sexual act. Almost anyone would at least say no and leave, at most call the police. If someone did do it you would call them a white who slept her way to the top. That's all these casting couch things are, someone who slept with the boss for a job. They didn't have to, they chose to to get that job. (Underage children not included)

He's a lawyer, he has a job, a position, a life, a reputation is at stake. He'd never work again anywhere if he named names guys. He'd be sued for millions of dollars for libel, for ruining the careers and reputations of many powerful, working, successful men. He just gives us every shred of evidence he can to out these guys. Would you sacrifice your career, home, job, to out all the powerful people in hollywood? Would you?

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